Dear friends,
In this meditation we ask why do we keep knocking ourselves?
We blame ourselves for what we may have done in the past.
We beat ourselves up for what we may have left undone in the past.
How can we get it right?
So let's have a look and see if we can be a little more quiet,
And we can help ourselves to move forward.
We begin by seeing if we can settle into a quiet state by closing the eyes,
Taking a deep breath in,
Holding it for a second or two,
And then gently letting it go.
Try that in your own time for the next few moments and see if it opens up.
Notice how that little exercise,
And you can do it anywhere,
Opens a door to the present moment.
Remember to open that door now and then in the course of every day.
So back to our opening question,
Why or why do we keep knocking ourselves?
It could be that we have made mistakes in our past.
Mistakes can help to turn ourselves around.
Sometimes our very best resolutions come from having made a mistake,
And remember that not every mistake of the past is irredeemable or catastrophic.
For the few that are,
Nothing will be gained by beating ourselves with a stick.
Let's look at what is causing our low self-esteem and our anxiety into a spore,
An encouragement for a more wise and beneficial action in the future.
Let's give ourselves a few moments for this exercise.
Welcome back.
Sometimes we knock ourselves because we feel unworthy of love or kindness.
This may have been drummed into us as we were at home.
It's no harm to try to find the source of this discomfort.
But remember also to notice just how far we have come since the days when these feelings of inadequacy were sown.
Let's see if we can forgive the people and the circumstances that caused us to feel this way.
That's not always easy,
But in these situations we will gain freedom from them.
Nelson Mandela reminds us,
As I walked out the door towards the gate,
The gate that would lead to my freedom,
I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind,
I'd still be in prison.
And so it is with us.
We must forgive and we must move on.
Let's pause for a moment to reflect on the Welcome back again.
When we knock ourselves down or beat ourselves up as inadequate.
When we are harsh on ourselves,
It's no harm to ask what do we even think of treating other people as harshly as we treat ourselves.
Almost certainly we would not.
Instead we call a person to one side and point out the other.
The worst of us has some good attributes that can be nurtured and brought to flower.
The flower that would have opened under the influence of the gentle warmth of softness and compassion closes tightly in the colder air.
So let's treat ourselves and others to a dose of warmth and compassion.
It's no harm to ask what do we even think of treating others as harshly as we treat ourselves.
If we have a habit of judging ourselves harshly we may begin to treat others the same way.
So in the time ahead be gentle with yourself and with others.
Make up your mind that the time for harsh personal judgment of yourself or anyone else for the better.
Remember the words of the wonderful poem by Max Ehrman.
You are a child of the universe.
No less than a child of the universe.
You have a right to be here.
And a final thought for today,
The final words of Max Ehrman's poem.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
Namaste.
